Community Involvement in Geoconservation: a Conceptual Approach Based on the Geoheritage of South Angola
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Sustainability 2015, 7, 4893-4918; doi:10.3390/su7054893 OPEN ACCESS sustainability ISSN 2071-1050 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Article Community Involvement in Geoconservation: A Conceptual Approach Based on the Geoheritage of South Angola Alexandre Oliveira Tavares 1,2,*, Maria Helena Henriques 2,3,†, Artur Domingos 4,† and Abel Bala 5,† 1 Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra (Polo II), Rua Sílvio Lima, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal 2 Department of Earth Sciences, University of Coimbra (Polo II), Rua Sílvio Lima, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal 3 Geosciences Centre, University of Coimbra (Polo II), Rua Sílvio Lima, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal; E-Mail: [email protected] 4 Magistério Primário do Lubango-Nambambe, Lubango, Angola; E-Mail: [email protected] 5 Instituto Superior Politécnico da Tundavala and Escola Secundária do 2° Ciclo/Quilengues, Huíla, Angola; E-Mail: [email protected] † These authors contributed equally to this work. * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: [email protected]; Tel.: +351-239-860-566; Fax: +351-239-860-501. Academic Editor: Marc A. Rosen Received: 24 March 2015 / Accepted: 20 April 2015 / Published: 24 April 2015 Abstract: In this work, it is argued that effective protection of geological objects displaying heritage value requires the local community’s involvement in all geoconservation actions, i.e., inventory, evaluation, conservation, valuation and monitoring procedures, and not only at the final part of the process, when it is expected from local communities that the physical integrity of such objects is guaranteed. Community involvement in geoheritage inventory and evaluation procedures can be appraised by using a classification system that integrates both the geoheritage properties displayed by the geological objects and usually recognized by geoscientists (i.e., relevance grade) and the social role attributed to geological objects by communities outside Earth scientists that arise from the public perception of such objects (i.e., abstract perceptiveness). Using two case studies from southern Angola (Huíla Province) where both social and scientific Sustainability 2015, 7 4894 components were taken into account in geoheritage evaluation procedures (Tundavala and Leba geosites), we propose a conceptual community-based model, which can be applicable to geoconservation purposes and actions in other African regions and converging with the main goals of the “African Alive Corridors” initiative. Keywords: geoheritage; geoconservation; community involvement; management; sustainable tourism; Tundavala; Leba; Angola; African Alive Corridors 1. Introduction and Goals Several authors highlight the richness of the geological, biological and cultural heritage of Africa, despite the scarce record of such heritage in the World Heritage List of UNESCO (see [1] and the references therein). When considering the geological heritage of Africa in particular, geoconservation is still quite far from the current political concerns in most of the countries [2,3], where no legal frame has yet been developed and/or is scarcely implemented aiming at the preservation of its geoheritage [4]. Despite the vastness of the territory and the recognition that it includes places with heritage value regarding the abiotic component of nature [5,6], there are no national or regional inventories of the geological heritage of Angola, nor any application on the way to the Global Geoparks Network supported by UNESCO [7–9]. However, at least the southwestern part of the country is included in an ongoing global initiative, “the African Alive Corridors”, which intends to tell the biography of the continent and to embrace all Africans in its co-curatorship [10]. Firstly proposed by de Wit and Anderson [11], the “Corridor 2: Snowball Earth” represents a chapter of the overall story (1000–500 Ma), extending from Angola to Namibia, that is expected to be written by those living either in or near them and based on information recorded in its rocks, fossils and extant flora and fauna, as well as in its archaeological and cultural sites [10]. This holistic vision regarding the heritage as a whole, including the geological heritage of a territory, is often replaced by sectorial approaches to the cultural heritage, on the one hand, and to the natural heritage, mainly its biotic component, on the other. Moreover, within geoconservation practices, i.e., inventory, evaluation, conservation, valuation and monitoring procedures applied to geological heritage [12], several methods and techniques of inventory and evaluation have been proposed, mainly focused on the geological properties of objects and/or sites displaying heritage value (scientific value as argued by Brilha [13]) without also considering the attributes socially assigned to them [14]. The community-based approach has been underlined as a key element for co-management of natural conservation strategies and for the support of local equity and empowerment [15–17]. Building cohesion, while achieving tangible outcomes, with the increment of self-organization and the capability to better respond to external or internal disruptions, also provides an increase of the general community’s resilience [18,19]. Stakeholders represent the entities that can affect or be affected by the geoconservation processes, including the business managers, planners, politicians, NGO leaders and media heads. The stakeholder’s Sustainability 2015, 7 4895 involvement is important for defining strategies recognized by all for the management of natural heritage and to facilitate the mediation of sustainable decisions [20,21], as they can make possible effective partnerships between host communities and the authorities, so that local people feel that their heritage represents an attraction [22]. Community participation makes possible basilar conservation activities, including reliant economic activities with business’s commercial viability, with linkages and multiplier effects on the local economy [23]. It can also support planning policies and regulation for natural resources management and the achieving of local projects and collective services [24]. The community involvement in conservation and valuation procedures of the geological heritage is emphasized by all, as community perceptions can help to maintain and protect local geological sites and raise public awareness of environmental matters [25], but it is generally disregarded in inventory and evaluation procedures. However, inventory and evaluation steps play a decisive role on the implementation of subsequent conservation, valuing and monitoring actions of the geological heritage [12]. As pointed by Kiernan [26] (p. 207), “Conservation initiatives may sometimes be perceived by local people as foreign concepts that are irrelevant to their lives, or even an impediment to their betterment, but they can be essential to protecting nature and associated tourism opportunities that can improve local living standards”. Community involvement in geoheritage inventory and evaluation procedures can be appraised by using a classification system that integrates both the geoheritage properties displayed by the geological objects and usually recognized by geoscientists (i.e., relevance grade, and the social role attributed to geological objects by communities outside Earth scientists that arise from the public perception of such objects (i.e., abstract perceptiveness; [14]). The conservation of a site as a protected area or any other legal instrument is a decision-making process, involving the stakeholders’ appreciation regarding the economic incomes for the region, namely through geotourism [27,28], thus creating a benefit for local communities, encouraging commercially-successful and environmentally-sound tourism operations [29,30]. The articulation between all of the actors in a framework aiming at the geoconservation of any kind of geological object displaying heritage value, which is represented in Figure 1, depends on communication effectiveness, a major component in all of the steps of the process, and not only at its final part when active participation is expected of local communities in ensuring the physical integrity of the geological objects. Communication is taken in a broad sense that includes corporate communication, information dissemination, awareness, public sensitization, stakeholders and community involvement. An integrated and continuous communication strategy underlying all options related to geoconservation, supported by educational and research activities, is the best way to ensure the effective protection of natural values, either classified or unclassified [31,32], as well as to develop a regional capability building, namely through geotourism. This is a tool for protection, as mentioned by Garofano [33], providing a source of sustainable economic benefit for the region, and represents an opportunity to manage it in a way that conserves it for the future [7,34]. Assuming the relevance of community involvement in geoheritage assessment and conservation processes, in this work, we present two case studies from southern Angola related to key locations for the understanding the Earth’s geological history, where both social and scientific components were taken into account in geoheritage evaluation procedures: Tundavala and Leba geosites (Huíla Province). The resulting conceptual community-based model can be applicable to geoconservation purposes and Sustainability 2015, 7 4896 actions in other African regions